When
Mattie has issues with her weight, she
decides to take charge of her life, redo
her image, find confidence and maybe
even dare to talk to guys. She also
discovers that boys can be insecure
and have self-doubts too. Will a change
in lifestyle, a friend, a tormentor, and
a dream guy help Mattie discover her
real self and find romance along the
way?

…The
book has a great storyline. If
you're someone who experienced
being picked on for being
different in any way in high
school, or you're a teenager who
feels out of place in their own
body, this book is a good read! Melissa,There
For You

…The
reader roots for Mattie to be
successful with her changes and
with her budding romance. Mattie
has an awesome friend who helps
her along the way, which has you
guessing as to who is the right
guy for her. The story will keep
you guessing until the end! Krista,Single
Titles

Told
in a nicely plausible teen
voice...Not overly heavy or
emotional, pleasantly clear with a
feeling of honest teen conviction,
and nicely avoiding the over-drawn
adjectives of dreamy
description...There’s no
fairytale ending to this short
novel. Mattie’s happy, but her
future’s not set in stone. Good
things have happened and the world
moves on, minus some extra pounds
of weight, and plus some
well-earned self-confidence...I
enjoyed the book for its honest
depictions, its pleasingly gentle
humor and its generous spirit. Sheila
Deeth,Lotsabooks
at Gather

"…The
story pulled me in right from the
beginning. I was surprised by some
of the twists in the story and how
it all ended up, as I thought the
story could have gone in many
different directions. Loverlypurple,Goodreads

…Ann
Herrick delivers a plot that is
big on empowerment for the female
teen, while exploring the
conflicting emotions, uncertainty,
and dreams that are prevalent in
those "between" years.
[She] tells a story about a
young woman who has character, a
sense of compassion, strong
commitment, determination, and
understanding beyond her years. We
see the questions about ethics,
compassion and morality arise and
how they are handled.
This is a very good portrayal of
the teen years, addressing some of
the issues that are faced, the
challenges and opportunities that
can arise, and the choices that
are made. Best of all, we watch
Mattie bloom before our very eyes
and grow into what she calls,
"the real me."

…The
Real Me by Ann Herrick is a
charming young adult novel about
love and identity. Mattie, the
first-person narrator, is a spunky
heroine who takes charge of her
life, makes mistakes, dusts
herself off, and tries again.
Kevin, her heartthrob, is both
believable and appealing. The plot
moves quickly with enough twists
and turns to keep readers guessing
about whether-and with whom-Mattie
will find true love.
I predict that young adults
who enjoy the romance genre will
be thrilled with The Real
Me.

THE
REAL ME is a great insight into
the insecurities, hopes, dreams,
and confusion of being a teenager,
and the self-acceptance and
realization that not all is how it
appears to be at first.
Mattie is self-conscious over her
appearance, little realizing that
her true beauty has been shining
forth all the time – even
without the weight loss and
haircut. The new look just
gives her the self-confidence to
hold her head high and let the
“real” Mattie shine forth. She
realizes that even guys, and the
“popular” kids, have
insecurities and fears of their
own. This is the first book
of Ms. Herrick’s that I have
read, and although this one is in
the young adult category, I found
it to be entertaining, and that it
brought back many memories of my
own teen years. I plan on
reading more of Ms. Herrick’s
books in the future.